So is that her idea of a joke?
by Eternal Hope is My Company
Summary: Just the one time Dante had to be ultra observant and notice one Devil Breaker that stood above the rest. Rated T for Nero's mouth. Based in DmC 5.


Dante whistled lowly at the wall covered in various Devil Breakers. **"Damn kid. Got yourself a bit of a collection now, don't you?"** He glanced at different arms. Some of them looked like an arm while others took on more crazy designs like a canon? He swore another looked like a laser gun!

 **"Yeah. Guess Nico has gotten a bit carried away with them."** Nero shrugged while sitting down. **"And I haven't been blasting through the arms quick enough to keep up with her production speed."** He scowled slightly. **"Hence why it looks like I suddenly have a way too huge of a fascination with mechanical arms."** Sarcasm easily slipped into his voice, causing Dante to laugh.

The older devil hunter wiped at his eyes with his gaze focused on Nero. **"You know, I could easily turn that dirty and you know it."** Nero scowling more at him and flexing his currently attached Devil Breaker (One that apparently had strength in mind) made it all too easy for Dante to grin. **"But, I won't. Just this once."** He laughed some more as he went back to looking at the Devil Breakers.

That was when he spotted one that stood out to him the most. He furrowed his eyebrows and crouched down since this arm was close to the floor and in the middle, as if someone put it there to make it less visible than the others. After poking the end of it where a hand should have been, Dante knew his eyes weren't tricking him.

 **"Pops, what are you doing?"** Nero sounded a bit annoyed or confused. Maybe both. Dante couldn't always tell with the perpetual smartass punk over there. Dante did look up though and moved away enough for Nero to see what he was looking at. He swore the kid turned sheet white within an instant. **"Uhhhh, that's just Nico's way of a joke. I mean…you can't fight a demon with that lousy thing, am I right?"**

Dante raised an eyebrow and glanced down at the arm. **"I would say more like if you wanted them as your main course. Bet you could eat some nice demon roast with that thing."** He couldn't stop himself from snickering. He noticed Nero now had redden cheeks.

The kid looked away and rubbed underneath his nose. **"Yeah well, I don't suddenly have a desire for demonic flesh thanks."** Nero looked down at his feet now. **"I would rather have pizza all the time than that."**

 **"Ha ha."** Dante shook his head. **"You don't know what you're missing, kid."** He chuckled, gripping the arm now in his hand. **"I mean, I could probably use this to fork myself some nice pizza-"**

 **"Oh, fuck not the puns…"** Nero muttered, and Dante barely kept himself from laughing real loudly at that.

 **"Whattt? I bet I could also fork myself some nice juicy babes with these prongs-"**

 **"Dante! For all the love that is holy, shut the hell up before I punch you out of this trailer and owe Nico a huge repair bill!"** Nero growled out with his face now tomato red.

Dante chuckled slightly before putting the arm back on the wall. **"But seriously, was that really Nico's idea of a joke? Guess she has a very interesting sense of humor."** He nudged it slightly with his foot after he stood up straight.

Nero huffed slightly before once again rubbing underneath his nose. **"No, it has a purpose."**

Dante raised an eyebrow and looked at the kid. The two stared at each other, the older devil hunter swearing he could see Nero's Adam's apple move up and down more than once due to nervous swallowing.

 **"…NicothinksI'marealmessyeaternowandneededsuchanarmtoeatbetterwith."** Nero spoke so quickly that Dante wasn't sure Nero didn't have the power of super speed talking. But, somehow, Dante caught enough of the words to get the general gist.

 **"…Now? Were you not before…"** Dante pointed at Nero's prosthetic arm.

Nero huffed loudly. **"I like to think I wasn't."** He glared slightly at Dante's arm rather than his face. **"It's just not the same using this arm to eat with I guess."** The kid frowned slightly. **"Just another damn reason I need to get my arm back."**

Dante frowned himself. Could Nero really attach his arm back like that? Dante never lost a limb himself, so he couldn't vouch. But…he didn't say out loud for the kid's sake that Nero might be stuck with a prosthetic for a right arm.

 **"And I'm here to help in whatever way I can, Nero."** Dante walked over and patted Nero's left shoulder before resting his hand there. **"As long as you don't get in my way of course."** He smirked, and Nero smirked back up at him.

 **"More like you should watch out about getting in my way, Pops."** Nero teased back. A moment after, the two started laughing. The laughter didn't last long though as Dante squeezed Nero's shoulder gently.

 **"Just like old times. Missed this."** Dante admitted softly while moving his hand off Nero's shoulder.

Nero looked up at Dante and furrowed his eyebrows. He breathed in deeply before gripping Dante's wrist with his prosthetic arm, giving the wrist a gentle squeeze. **"…Me too."**


End file.
